Destiny's Tired Of Waiting
by icewolf8
Summary: AU Fic about Jack and Ennis's first meeting. Please R&R. Chap. 4 now up
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Not mine, dangit.

A/N: Thanks to everyone who has reviewed my other posts. This one will take awhile cause I am trying to do it right so it will take awhile to bring it out the way I want it to go.

Claire Twist stood in the kitchen staring out the window deep in thought. Her husband, John, was out on the back forty while her little boy, Jack, was herding sheep up on Brokeback Mountain. He'd heard about the job through the usual rancher grapevine and he'd headed down there ostensibly because it was a well paying job, but, Claire knew the truth. He took the job just to get away from his father for awhile. She was suddenly pulled from her reverie when she noticed a man walking up the driveway. She knew right away he was a cowboy looking for work just by his clothes alone and the sack he carried, but, she wondered, how in the world did he find his way out here to the middle of nowhere?

Walking over to the open door, Claire watched as the young man walked up to the house. With a mother's eye she could see he was underfed and looked about to dead on his feet. She could also sense the loneliness that surrounded him. Already figuring out what to tell her husband, she invited the stranger in and sat him at the table while she went and poured him a cup of coffee and made him a turkey sandwich. Sitting down across from the stranger with her own cup of coffee, she gave him a good looking over. She put his height at that of her Jack, but, skinnier. He had chocolate eyes with a touch of honey to them, short blond hair what curled around his ears and neck, work roughened hands and skin the had seen quite a bit of sun. After he'd finished eating, she sent him out to the bunkhouse to take a nap, promising to wake him up for dinner as her husband would wanna talk to him concerning any work needing done. He quietly thanked her and walked out to the bunkhouse intending to take that nap.

Later that afternoon, while she was preparing dinner, she heard her husband walk in grumbling as usual. Taking his coffee to the table, she sat down and waited for John to return to the kitchen after washing up. A few minutes later, John returned to the table and sat down to drink his coffee. Looking up from his first sip of coffee, he could see by the look on her face that she had news, but, wasn't sure how he'd take it. He knew if he sat there long enough she'd tell him what was on her mind. Finally, she looked up and met his eyes.

"We had a visitor today," she said.

Not expecting this to be the topic, he just looked at her for a second. "Oh? And who might that have been?" he asked. A visitor was a rare occurrence out here unless it was her brother and his wife or one of their kids.

"Just a young man looking for work," she replied. "Now I know you said we don't need no more help after all the riff-raff that've passed through here, but, I think we should give him a try. I have a good feeling about him. I think he's what we've been looking for. I've looked him over and can see he's no stranger to hard work."

Trusting in his wife's judgment, except when it cam to his lazy, no-account son, he thought about what she'd said. Finally, he looked at her and said, "Well? Where is he?"

"I fed him and sent him out to the bunkhouse to take a nap. He was dead on his feet when he showed up. Seemed mighty hungry, too, like he hadn't eaten in awhile. Told him I'd wake him up for dinner."

Thinking about it for a minute, John stood up from the table and walked out to the bunkhouse telling her he'd wake him up instead. Looking in the bunkhouse, which consisted of one room with three bunks in it, he didn't see the stranger in there. Wandering where he could have gotten off to, he decided to check the stables first as they were closer. Walking into the stables, John stopped dead in his tracks at the sight before him not quite believing his eyes. The stranger was standing there messing with the meanest horse it had been John's displeasure to ever own. The strangest part was the horse wasn't even putting up a fight like he did with everyone else that had come near him with the exception of Jack. Jack seemed to be the only one to be able to get near him without being half killed. The horse was a beautiful stallion with jet black hair and white stockings. After studying the stranger for a bit, John got to thinking that maybe he could use this stranger's help around the place. He'd at least try him out before sending him on his way.

The stranger had sensed he was being watched, but, didn't wanna take his attention from the stallion just yet. After a few minutes he looked up at the man standing there watching him. After whispering a few more nonsense words to the horse, he walked over to the man stopping just a couple feet away from him. Taking his hat off and studying the floor, he waited for the man to speak.

"So. Wife says your looking fer work, huh?"

"Yes, sir."

"Well, what can ya do? What kind experience ya got?"

"Well, sir, I can do anything dealing with ranch work. Been working ranches since I was 12. Also I got a way with horses"

"Can see that. What's yer name, son?"

"Ennis Del Mar, sir."

"Well, Ennis Del Mar, I'm John Twist. Can let ya work fer a couple days fer room and board. Bout all I can afford fer ya fer now. After that we'll see. Meanwhile, come on up to the house fer supper." With that, John Twist turned and headed for the house hearing Ennis fall into step behind him.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Not mine, just borrowing.

A/N: Thanks to everyone who has reviewed my other stories to date. Will post sequel to 'A Friendly Conversation' and 'A Promise Kept' as soon as I can get it to come out right. Hang in there.

Two weeks later

After getting up a 5am per usual, Ennis saddled up one of the horses deciding to ride the fence line looking for places that could use repairing. After doing repairs to a couple of spots and finding everything else in good shape, Ennis rode back to the stable intending to put the horse back in it's stall and do some work around the barn that needed doing. Just as he neared the stable he heard yelling and watched as a man came flying out of the building and landed on his back and old man Twist come strutting out madder than he'd ever seen him. Taking another look at the man on the ground, he could see that he would have a nice bruise on his jaw and , by the way he was holding his stomach, a few bruises in other areas too. The one thing that managed to completely capture his attention, even from a distance, was the man's blue eyes. He'd never seen a blue like that. Even the sky paled in comparison. The jet black hair and pale skin only seemed to sharpen the color of those eyes rather than detract from them.

"Ya always been a fuck-up, boy," Twist shouted, "and ya ain't never gonna change. Even when ya were born ya were a complete fuck-up."

The man on the ground never moved nor said a word back to the old man. Finally, Twist just threw his hands up in the air and stormed off to the house.

Ennis just continued to sit on his horse contemplating the man on the ground. He looked to be roughly the same age as himself. Along with those blue eyes, black hair and cream complexion, he has a trim figure and the way he filled out those jeans was a sin. Jack had seen Ennis sitting there, but, refused to meet his eyes. He was embarrassed this guy had seen him getting his ass kicked by his dad. He watched as the man climbed down off his horse and thought _Don't try it, bud. Don't want ya thinking I can't get up on my own. No matter how bad these ribs hurt. _ He was a little disappointed when the man just grabbed the reigns and walked the horse into the stables without even looking back.

Ennis was standing in the stall brushing down the horse when Jack finally hobbled into the stables and sat down on a bale of hay in the corner. Watching him out of the corner of his eye, Jack started checking him out. He took in the curly blond hair, the sun-kissed skin and the long legs that seemed to never end. _Damn he's beautiful_, he thought. _Whoa, where'd that come from? Shouldn't be havein' thoughts like that. I know I ain't no queer, but, there's just something bout this guy. Don't know why I'm thinking like this, but, can't help wondering what he'd look like without all those clothes on. Whoa, boy, back it on down now. Next thing ya know he's gonna be kicking yer ass instead of the old bastard. Serve ya right too, havin' thoughts like these. _

Finally deciding he'd ogled this guy enough, Jack decided he'd best go introduce himself properly. Walking towards him, he noticed Ennis suddenly stiffen up. _Shit, _he thought, _man's as skittish as a new born colt. Better take it nice and slow. Don't wanna spook him. _Coming up next to Ennis, Jack turned on his million-watt smile and stuck his hand out.

"Howdy, name's Jack Twist," he sad.

Ennis just turned and looked at him for a moment before shaking his hand. "Ennis," he replied turning back to the horse.

"Yer folks just stop at Ennis?" He couldn't help it, there was just something about this Ennis he just had to tease him some.

Blowing out a frustrated breath, Ennis finally piped up, "Del Mar."

"Nice to meet ya, Ennis Del Mar. Listen, don't mind my ole man. He's a nasty bastard most of the time, but, he's also a good man to work for. So, what brings ya out to the middle of nowhere?"

"Heard he needed some help out here," Ennis said through tight lips. _Ain't badmouthing the boss, even if his kid's right. Don't know how this Jack can stand it. My daddy was a bastard too, but, he never laid into us kids like this fella does. Ma woulds never stood fer it._ He remembered his mother as a sweet, kind and gentle woman, but, he'd also seen her lay into his daddy a few times when the old man went too far. Mrs. Twist kinda reminded him of his mother. Underneath the soft exterior he'd sensed a steel backbone. He missed his ma something fierce most times having lost her only five years ago.


	3. Chapter 3

-1 Supper that night seemed to drag out for Ennis. Old man Twist was sitting there dividing his attention between eating and throwing dagger like glances at Jack who was talking up a storm with his ma. _Damn,_ he thought, _does this guy never shut up? Never heard anyone talk so much in my life. It's like words are free and he has a river full to give away. _ Finally having his fill, of both food and chatter, he takes his dishes into the kitchen and starts to wash them when Ma Twist pipes up and tells him to leave them alone. Knowing enough not to cross her, he heads outside for a smoke before heading off to bed in the bunkhouse.

Standing there looking at the stars and the land, he starts to feel a peace come over him. Suddenly, he hears the door open behind him. He knows who it is without having to turn around.

"Mind if I bum a smoke?" Jack asks wondering if he can get this Ennis fella to say more than a few words to him. Ennis just hands him the pack without saying a word. When their fingers touch they both feel an electric current pass through them. Ennis yanks his hand back dropping the smokes on the ground and quickly backs away before turning and heading for the bunkhouse confusion running rampant in his head. _What the hell was that? Never felt anything like it before. Not sure I wanna feel it again either._

"_What the hell?" _Jack whispers to himself totally confused. _Almost felt like I was bein' 'electrocuted there. _He looks up in time to see Ennis heading for the bunkhouse. _What the hell's his problem? Is he this tight lipped all the time or is it me? Could I have done something without knowing? Damn, Twist, what could ya have done this time? Ya never could keep from screwing something up. Shit, ya could probably screw up changing a light bulb if ya weren't careful._ Feeling an inexplicable sadness at seeing Ennis walk away, Jack turned and went back into the house to go to bed laying Ennis' pack of smokes on the table as he went.

For the next few weeks Ennis managed to avoid Jack as much as he could. Old man Twist actually helped without realizing it. Course it also helped that Ennis always got up before the sun and Jack never got up before 8 am. Around the first of the month Jack came downstairs for breakfast only to learn that Ennis had left for Signal. Ma Twist told him Ennis had left to get married. She didn't know if he would be coming back or not.

"Go head an eat yer breakfast, Jack," she said giving him a knowing look that he didn't see.

"Not hungry right now, Ma." Sighing, Jack stepped outside to have a cigarette and stare down the road he knew Ennis had taken.

Inside, Ma Twist wiped the tear that was leaking from her eye. She knew what her boy's problem was, but, she didn't know how to help him and it broke her heart. _Oh, Jack, my poor boy. Why'd ya have to go and do that for? Ya should'a known , Son, ya should'a known._


	4. Chapter 4

Riverton, Wyoming

The wedding went off without a hitch and Ennis Del Mar married Alma Beers in a simple ceremony attended by his brother K.E. and sister Maggie. For Alma, her sister Rose was there along with her mother Katrina and a few friends from town. Ennis was there in his finest clothes just short of threadbare going through the motions of shaking hands and nodding and smiling. But, all through the ceremony he couldn't seem to banish the image that kept popping into his head. For some reason he couldn't understand, a pair of sad blue eyes were haunting his every waking moment and more than a few dreams, too.

It's like there were two Ennis's inhabiting the same body. One was starting a new life with Alma and vowed to make her happy, to love and honor her, and to start a family with her as was expected of him. The other was practically dying to see those blue eyes again. To fall so deeply into them he could never find his way back out. To vow to make them always shine and never again shed a tear. The day he left, that part of him almost died. Wanted to just lay on the side of the road and let the vultures pick his heart out it was already broken enough. They could just pull it right out through his skin.

When Junior was born, he was so proud he didn't think his heart could stand the strain. He could see that she took after him right away. Even as a baby she always had a thoughtful look on her face as if thinking about each move she'd make before making it. She was also very quiet, just like her daddy, until she actually had a reason to make a sound. He knew there was nothing wrong with her, but, Alma always insisted there was. She'd always tell him that a child should never be that quiet. Children were always fussy unless they were asleep. Ennis just chalked it up to the fact that Junior, for one reason or another, scared the living hell out of Alma. Course, after Francine was born a year later, Alma was overjoyed. Francine was a screamer. What surprised Ennis the most, though, was that even when Francine annoyed the hell out of Junior with her fussiness, Junior never once complained. She would just go to her sisters crib and rub her tummy or her back till Francine quieted down or Alma got there to feed her or change her diaper.

About a year after Francine was born, Ennis got some bad news in the mail. Stopping at the post office on the way home one day, he found an unexpected letter mixed in with the usual junk mail. The letter was from Mrs. Twist whom he still remembered fondly. Upon reading the letter he felt his stomach tying itself into knots. He was feeling a strange mixture of both sadness and joy that he couldn't explain. On seeing the look on her husbands face, Alma knew something bad must have happened.

"What wrong, Ennis?" she asked.

"Huh? Oh, nothing. Just got a letter from and old employers wife. Seems her husband just passed away and her son's down in Texas somewhere. She wants to know if I can come up and help out fer a bit till she can locate her son."

"What about me and the girls? Ennis, I'm real tired of living on a ranch and the girls really have no one to play with. And Francine's asthma isn't getting any better."

"Well, she did ask that I bring my family with me. I really owe the Twist's. They gave me a job when I had no right to expect one. Mrs. Twist's the one that gave me that quilt fer you. Said every husband outta bring his bride a gift fer their wedding. She's a real sweet lady. You'd like her."

"Well, where is this place at?"

"It's a place called Lightnin Flat up near the Montana border. The towns about an hour away from the ranch. I'd really like to be able to help her out, Alma, but, if ya'd rather I didn't then I'll just write her back and tell her I can't make it." _Not really sure if I can stand seein' Jack again either. Course, he's doin the rodeo thing so she might not be able to find him. Not sure what it was that happened on the porch that night and not sure I wanna know. What I can't understand though is how com I can't get him out of my head._

"Well, how long do ya think ya'd have to be up there?"

"At least a month or two. Last time I was there the place was barely hanging on. Not sure what kinda shape it's in now."

"Lord, I've never seen Ennis Del Mar beholdin to anyone, so, if ya have to go then go. I can take the girls and stay at my sisters over to Riverton fer awhile. At least that way the girls will have their cousins to play with and Francine'll be closer to the doctor." _The only thing I can't understand, Ennis, is why ya'd go out of yer way to help that family when ya never once wanted to do anything I asked ya to do. Why can't ya take care of yer own family like yer supposed to?_

"Are ya sure, Alma? I mean I can tell her I can't do it. She'd understand, really."

"No, Ennis, it's alright. Ya go ahead and do it. The girls and I'll be waitin fer ya in Riverton."

That night Ennis started packing things up so that they could leave the next morning. He hadn't yet gotten around to letting Alma know that he'd lost his job that day because the ranch he'd been working at had folded. He'd been planning to go out the next day to find another job, so the letter had come just in time,


End file.
